Categories
Atrial fibrillation Exercise Healthy Living Nutrition

Success in heart health stems from the simple…

The solution is so easy.  It sits right before our eyes.  The methodology is known. Small Steps to Heart Health was big headlines in today’s WSJ.  As if the secret was revealed. The report succinctly argues that simple lifestyle choices, like daily exercise and better nutrition are surprisingly successful. Shocking! As an illustration of a […]

Categories
Atrial fibrillation Exercise Healthy Living Nutrition

Success in heart health stems from the simple…

The solution is so easy.  It sits right before our eyes.  The methodology is known. Small Steps to Heart Health was big headlines in today’s WSJ.  As if the secret was revealed. The report succinctly argues that simple lifestyle choices, like daily exercise and better nutrition are surprisingly successful. Shocking! As an illustration of a […]

Categories
Athletic heart Atrial fibrillation General Ablation

Top ten answers to recent questions on the athlete with arrhythmia…

Many of my athletic colleagues have shared their arrhythmia stories, both publicly and privately.  The volume of these correspondences have surprised me.  It is clear from reading many of these stories, that a few points of clarification are needed. I was furhter inspired to write more on the athlete conundrum after reading this Facebook status […]

Categories
AF ablation Atrial fibrillation Health Care Healthy Living Reflection

A real world view of new developments in the treatment of atrial fibrillation…

The patient is anxiously sitting on the exam table.  A notebook, a pencil and many papers from the internet and other doctors are close at hand.  A spouse sits in the accompanying chair with an equally anxious face that says without words, “please help us out here.” The problem at hand is atrial fibrillation.  Paroxysms […]

Categories
Cycling Stuff Exercise inflammation

Just because the rigors of endurance athletics may be inflammatory doesn’t mean it isn’t fun…

A patient asks, “Doc, do you ride your bike to prevent heart disease.” I reply, “Heck no, I am hoping to live long enough to get heart disease.” The non-athletic patient looks quizzically at me as if trying to decipher what I mean, or whether I am serious.  Too long a story, so we move […]

Categories
Athletic heart Atrial fibrillation Cycling Stuff inflammation

A cautionary note to my endurance athletic brethren…

Exercise is good for you. It forms one of the triads of health: good nutrition, good movement, and good sleep. However, like in life, too much of anything is counterproductive, even destructive.   I have long struggled to explain the steady stream of hyper-fit, uber-athletic endurance athletes who see me for arrhythmias.  A membership in […]

Categories
Health Care Reform Healthy Living

No skin in the game..

Nearly every day an email comes with medical news and it is truly remarkable how many repetitive studies are done, which show adherence to the usual lifestyle factors, diet, exercise and cessation of smoking improve outcomes. This past week the Go Red for Women Hearts is yet another proclamation, specifically to women, to get with […]

Categories
Health Care Health Care Reform

Philosophers know not health…

The WSJ recently reported the American Heart Association’s earth shattering proclamation urging people to focus on the prevention of heart disease.  The AHA provides the seven steps to wellness, like a map to the grail.  Does the AHA have a surprise or something novel to share with us?  No, just the usual recommendations to not smoke, […]

Categories
General Cardiology Health Care Health Care Reform

A simple, safe, inexpensive treatment: Let’s cut its funding…

The new MacBook was scrolling fast but this headline grabbed the eyes… “Self-discipline, perseverance needed for successful cardiac rehabilitation, cardiologist says.” The story of cardiac rehab acts as a metaphor for the entire cardiac health quagmire.  Cardiac rehab following a stent, coronary bypass, or heart attack is indeed scientifically proven to improve outcomes. Problematically though, […]

Categories
Atrial fibrillation Exercise Healthy Living

Not moving is not good therapy…

Not sure if using a question from the comment section is ‘pc’ in the blog-o-sphere but the issue raised is highly worthy of commentary.  “Until last May I considered myself to be pretty serious cyclist as well, until exercise induced atrial fibrillation became a problem. Now I’m actually afraid to get on the bike, lest […]

Categories
Exercise General Medicine Health Care Healthy Living

Are we heading to a “Wall-E” situation?

So much to write about on Friday.  An email from a friend, another master of the obvious, on the the happiest states, an email form ACC on holding doctors accountable for medical errors, as well as an AHA statistical report on the worsening lifestyle habits of Americans.  These comment-able stories, along with this bloggers quest […]